Mysore/Mysuru: The guest lecturers protest urging for fulfilment of various demands entered the fourth day today. The guest lecturers under the banner of University of Mysore (UoM) Guest Lecturers Association are on an indefinite strike near Kuvempu’s statue at the entrance of Manasagangothri, demanding the revision in pay scale to Rs. 37,000 and other facilities.

MLA Dr. Yathindra Siddharamaiah, MLCs A. H. Vishwanath, Dr. D. Thimmaiah and Marithibbegowda, District Congress President Dr. B. J. Vijayakumar, former member of University of Mysore Syndicate N. S. Gopinath, Aam Aadmi Party Mysuru District Convener Malavika Gubbivani, BSP leader R. Purushotham and several other leaders visited the protest venue and extended their solidarity to the stir yesterday.

Earlier, guest lecturers Dr. Chandrashekar, Dr. Girish, Dr. Vijay, Dr. Rekha Srinivas, Dr. Sowjanya and Dr. Girish who are in the lead of the protest locked the main gate of Manasagangothri from 9.30 am to 11 am  and raised slogans against the officials.

They reiterated their demands for implementing the revised pay scale in compliance with the decision of Varsity Syndicate meeting held on 22.8.2022, followed by creation of the posts of ‘Assistant Professor’ with a pay band of Rs. 50,000. The salary should be credited within fifth of every month and the women guest lecturers should be given maternity allowance.

 The decision to pay the old salary of Rs. 28,000 to thousands of guest lecturers working at Maharaja’s College and Yuvaraja’s College, Evening  College, Hassan, Mandya and Chamarajanagar coming under the ambit of UoM will barely do any justice to them. Hence the revised pay scale should be implemented at the earliest, they demanded.

 Even when the UoM Registrar V.R. Shylaja, Registrar (Evaluation) Dr. A.P. Jnana Prakash and other Officers made a bid to broker the truce, the agitators refused to budge.

 The officials said, “The acting Vice-Chancellor is on tour and the issue will be brought to the notice on his return to the city. A decision will be taken soon after holding a discussion, as it is not possible otherwise.”

 Irked, the agitators started raising slogans forcing the UoM officials to vacate the spot.

Adding to the increasing number of leaders extending their support to the ongoing protest of guest lecturers, MLC Madhu G. Madegowda, Congress leader Harish Gowda and Corporator J. Gopi visited the protest site today. They gave a patient hearing to the demands of the protesters and also joined the sit-in demonstration for a while.